His next challenge comes at UFC Vegas 90, where he’ll take on fellow Octagon veteran Alex Morono at the UFC APEX. In a sport where heated rivalries and trash talk can dominate the news cycle, McGee vs. Morono offers something of a palate cleanser. There’s no bad blood here. Quite the opposite, in fact. But don’t let that detract from the fact that they have both made their names by bringing the heat in the cage. It’s why they have combined for more than 40 UFC fights in their respective careers.
“I think he’s a great opponent. I don’t know if we fought on the same card, but I’ve seen him fight a couple of times,” said McGee.
“When the matchmaker said, ‘What about this guy?’ It’s like, ‘Yeah. That’s great!’ I’ve always said that. Whether it was Sean Brady, or Sean Strickland, or Robert Whittaker, it’s like, ‘OK, great!’
“Instead of picking and choosing, I have taken every opportunity and tried to fight up. So he’s one of those guys, man. He brings it, he’s crafty, he’s good. He’s pretty good everywhere. And so, for me, it’s an exciting fight.
“And also, a fellow true martial artist, you know? That’s who I’ve worked so hard to compete against – a guy like Alex Morono. So, for me, it’s going out there and giving him my best, trying to find a way to beat him, and then beating him, is the most important thing. That’s what I can offer him, is my best.”
For a fighter who has spent almost a decade and a half of his career fighting in the UFC, there have been plenty of opportunities to collect some memorable moments during fights with a host of notable names.
However, McGee said that the moment that means the most to him didn’t take place during a fight. Instead, it was what he did immediately after a fight that has left a lasting memory.
“My proudest moment, probably, is when I dedicated my fight to all those who were struggling, on the night that I won the (TUF) Finale,” he said.
“I think there’s a lot of confliction being a former drug addict – not highlighting your past, not looking at the downfalls. Being really open with my story of how I had lost everything because I couldn’t find a way to stop using and drinking, and then finding that way, finding a passion, following a passion, staying consistent and then becoming The Ultimate Fighter, and dedicating my fight to all those who are struggling. I think that’s probably my proudest moment.”
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McGee is hoping to add another proud moment to his career on Saturday. For “The Crusher”, each fight is a chance to demonstrate to himself that he can solve a different puzzle with his skills.
“The captive motivation is, a minute or so into the fight, now it’s, ‘I have a chance to figure out how to beat you. And I’ve prepared, I’ve done this.’ And so that’s the elusive part. That’s what I do it for,” he explained.
“And then on top of that, the byproduct is that I get paid, I can support my wife and my three sons. I can run my gym, I can encourage people who are struggling with addiction all over the world that there’s a way out, that it’s possible to attain sobriety, long term sobriety.